The Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema has allegedly paid back the sum of N6 billion back to the state’s treasury in a bid to save himself from possible investigation and prosecution following the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as the President-elect in the just concluded presidential elections.
Top diplomatic sources and competent information sources in Katsina State government told THE NEW DIPLOMAT that the amount was paid back into the State treasury a few days ago in a move to starve off prosecution from the in- coming administration of General Buhari whose party governorship candidate, former House of Representatives Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Masari won the Governorship elections in Katsina State.
Said the sources, “The governor ordered that N6b be paid back into the treasury of Katsina State and the money was paid back because it was meant for a phony project for which work was never done.
“I can assure you that with General Buhari, many out-going governors will refund monies they took from their state treasuries, because the man will fight corruption. Corruption is evil and its so endemic in the system.”
A top diplomatic source who has been on top of political and economic developments in Katsina State told THE NEW DIPLOMAT that “We have it on authority that such sum(N6bn) was actually refunded to the state treasury.”
Investigation reveals that Governor Shema who has started packing out of Government House to his private residence also lost several properties including motorcycles to hoodlums who carted away valuables when the vehicle conveying the properties broke down on the road.
“Don’t forget, Katsina State is the home state of Buhari and he will want to demonstrate that he means business in the fight against corruption,” the source stated.
Governor Shema is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor of Katsina State but lost to a former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari in the just concluded governorship polls nationwide.
The outgoing governor governor had expressed the view that running Katsina State is tough in his congratulatory message to Masari.
Indications have emerged that many public officers of the out-going administration may have started paying back various funds into the treasury.
Said a serving diplomat, “I can assure you that Governor Shema is just one case, many governors will soon follow suit because they ran their states as personal estates without knowing and realising that they may be called upon to account for sums of the money they received and how they expended same, some day.
“The impunity in some states was too brazen. Monies were released, yet no projects were on ground to justify the funds paid.”
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